Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-10-01
CHAPTER XVIII.
BESSIE IS PUT TO THE QUESTION.


Silas Croft down and assisted in the pleasing
operation of dragging him to the Flagstaff, it
had occurred to his villainous heart that the
present would be good opportunity to profit
by the confusion, and possibly to
add to the Englshman's misfortunes by doing
him some injury on his own account. Ac-
cordingly, Just before Frank Muller began to
read the dispatch announcing the English
surrender, he slipped away into the house,
which was now totally deserted, to see what
he could steal Passing into the sitting room,
lie annexed Bessie's gold watch and chaint
which was lying on the nantelpiece, q present
that her uncle had made her on the Christmas
day before the last. Having pocketed this he
proceeded to the kitchen, where there was q
goodIy store of silver forks and spoons that
Bessie had been engaged In cleaning that
morning, lying on the dresser ready to be put
away These he also transferred, to the ex-
tent of several dozens, to the capacious pock-
cts of the tattered military great coat that he
wore. While doing so he was much dis
turbed by the barking of the dog Stomp, the
same animal that had mauled him so severely
q few weeks before, and who was now, as it
happened, tied up in his kennel-an old wine
barrel-just outside the kitchen door. Hen
dirk peeped out of the window, and having
ascertained that tho dog was secured, pro-
ceeded. with diabolical chuckle, to settle his
account with the poor animal He had left
his gun behind on the grass, but he still held
his assegai in his hand, and, going out of the
kitchen door with it, he showed himself with
in few feet Of the kennel The dog recog
nized him instantly, and went nearly mad
with fury, making the most desperate efforts
to break its chain and get at him. For some mo-
ments he stood exciting the animal by derisivo
gestures and pelting it with stones, till at last
fearing that the clamor would attract atten-
ton, he suddenly transtixed it with his spear,
and then, thinking that he was quite unob-
served, sat down and snuffed and enjoyed the
luxury of watching the poor beasts last ago
nies.
But, as it happened, he was not'quite alone,
for, creeping along in the grass and rubbish
that grew on the further side Of the wall, his
brown body squeezed tightly against the
brown stones-so tightly that an Impractical
eye would certainly have failed to observe 1t
at q distance of a dozen paces-was the Hot
tentot Jantje. Occasionally, too, he would
lift his head above the level of the wall and
observe the proceedings of the one eyed man.
Apparently he was undecided what to do for
he hesitated little, and while he did SO Hen
dirk killed the dog.
Now Jantje had all a Hotteutot's natural
love for animals, which is. generally speak
ing, as marked as is the kafbir's callousness
toward them, and he was particularly fond
of the dog Stomp, which always went out
walking with him on those rare occasions
when he thought it safe OF desirable to walk
like an ordinary man, instead of creeping
%.L i1.n t1ays "
Cling through the grass like snake. The
sight of the animals death, therefore. raised
in his black breast a very keen desire for ven
geance on the murderer, if vengeance could
be safely accomplished; and he paused to re
fleet if this could be done. AS he did SO Hen
dirk got up, gave the dead dog kick, with
drew his assegai from the carcass, and then,
as though struck by a sudden desire to con
ceal the murder, undid the collar, and, lifting
the dog in his arms, carried him with diff
Guilty into the house and laid him under the
kitchen table. This done he came out again
to the wall which was built of loose, unmor-
tared stones, pulled one out without trouble,
del,osited the watch and the silver he had
stolen i'm the cavity. and replaced the stone.
Next, before Jantje could guess what he
meant to do, he proceeded to make it practi-
cally impossible for his robbery to be dlscov-
cred, or, at any rate, very improbable, by
lighting a MATCH and, having first glanced
round to see that nobody was looking, reach
ing up and applying it to the thick thatch
with which the house itself was rooted, and
of which the fringe just here was not more
than nine feet from the ground. NO RAIN had
fallen at Mooifontein for several days, and
there had been hot sun and dry wind, and,
as a result, the thatch was as dry as tindef
The light caught IN second, and IN two
more a thin line of fire was running up the
roof.
Hendrix paused, stepped few PAGES back,
resting his shoulders against the WALL I'M
mediately the other side of which was Jantje,
and proceeded to chuckle aloud and rub his
hands as he admired the results of his handi-
work. This was too much for the Hottentot
on the farther side The provocation was too
great, and so was the opportunity. In his
hand was the thick stick ON which he was so
fond of cutting notches. Raising it in both
hands he brought the heavy knob down with
all his strength upon the one eyed Villains
unprotected skull 1t was thick skull, but
the knob prevailed against it and fractured it,
and down went the estimable witch doctor as
though he we're dead.
Next, taking leaf out of his fallen enemy's
book, Jantje slipped over the wall and, seis-
ing the senseless man, dragged him by one
arm into the kitchen and rolled him under the
table to keep company with the dead dog.
Then, filled with a fearful joy, he slipped out,
shutting and locking the door behind him,
and crept round to point of vantage in
little plantation seventy or eighty yards TO
tie right of the house, whence he could watch
the confiagration that he knew must eusue,
for the fire had taken instant and irrenledi-
able hold, and also see what the Boers We're
doing.
Ten minutes or so afterw&gd that amiable
character Hendrix partially regained his
senses, to find himself surrounded by a sea of
fire, in which he perished miserably, not hav-
ing power TO move, and his feeble cries being
totally swallowed up and lost in the fierct
roaring of the flames, even had there been
anybody there to hear them. And that wal
the very appropriate end of Hendrix and the
magic of Hendrix.
Down by the flagstaff the old man lay in
his fit, with Bessie tending him and posse of